Boston Common, “the gem of the region,” as Salge calls it, offers spectacular colors in the fall. You just have to wait for them. That’s because America’s oldest public park is among the last in the region to change colors due to factors like elevation, proximity to water, and how the city cools, he said.

The Emerald Necklace, the 1,100-acre chain of urban parks that links more than a dozen city neighborhoods stretching from the Back Bay to Dorchester, is well worth visiting during the fall season, Orrall said.

Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, America’s first garden cemetery, is an especially beautiful place when the leaves change, Salge said. “There’s a great diversity of trees in the arboretum,” he said. “There’s a lot of oak, which turns this beautiful flame-orange, flame-red. You just get this beautiful view over the city.” Visitors can also enjoy panoramic views of Boston from the 62-foot granite Washington Tower at the cemetery.

Finally, the Blue Hills Reservation just outside of Boston is an excellent place to admire foliage, Salge said. “There’s miles of hiking, great views, and opportunities to be a little more remote,” he said. Stretching across parts of Milton, Quincy, Braintree, Canton, Randolph, and Dedham, Blue Hills boasts 125 miles of hikes for all skill levels. Visitors can view the changing trees from the 635-foot summit of Great Blue Hill, the highest of the 22 hills on the 7,000-acre reservation.